Area Schools Officer

Surrey County Council

  • Weybridge, Surrey
  • £53,713-58,953 per year
  • Permanent
  • Part-time
  • 6 days ago
Details
  • Title: Area Schools Officer
  • Reference: SCC/TP/288886/3711
  • Positions: 1
  • Salary: £53,713 - £58,953
  • Category: Education & Learning
  • Contract type: Secondment
  • Working hours: 36
  • Posted on: 22 August 2025
  • Closing date: 12 September 2025
  • Directorate: Children, Families & Lifelong Learning
  • Location: Dakota, 11 De Havilland Drive, Weybridge.
DescriptionWe are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.This is a 12 month secondment opportunity to provide maternity cover. Please discuss with your Line Manager before submitting your application.This role has a starting salary of £53,713 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.We are excited to be hiring a new Area Schools Officer (ASO) to join our fantastic Area Schools Officer Team. The role is based in the North East of Surrey however there will be occasional travel to offices and education settings across the county when required.Rewards and Benefits
  • 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
  • Annual leave allowance (for bank) or remove for term time
  • Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
  • An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
  • Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
  • Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
  • A generous local government salary related pension
  • Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
  • 2 paid volunteering days
  • Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
About the TeamWe have a rarely available opportunity to join our highly valued and established School Relationships and Support Service. The role involves providing a high-quality, responsive support service, maintaining the current traded offer, and identifying new commercial opportunities within a changing education landscape.The service contributes fully to the county council's delivery of a child centred and coordinated approach to keeping children safe, delivery of high-quality teaching and learning experiences, and professional support and challenge, in partnership with schools and education settings.The team operates within a fast paced and varied environment where no one day is the same and where you will be at the forefront of developing and securing strong relationships with our colleagues and partners in schools and education in Surrey.The School Relationships and Support Service sits within our Quality Practice, Relationships & Support Directorate under the well-established Directorship of Patricia Denney.About the RoleAs an Area Schools Officer you will be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of support to education leaders, parents/carers and other education stakeholders, often in challenging situations, such as the management of complex complaints and safeguarding allegations. This also includes the requirement to provide out of hours duty emergency support on a rota basis with critical incidents and emergencies such as unexpected child death.At its heart this role requires someone with a flair for relationship management, with the ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships that are underpinned with trust and integrity. You'll bring your resilience to remain calm under pressure, with skilled customer service, coaching and influencing abilities and the courage to challenge appropriately when required.Your strong and visible leadership will both inspire and motivate colleagues, modelling behaviours that demonstrate how accountability and a positive and solution focussed outlook supports the agile delivery of highly valued services that respond to the changing needs of our education customers.If you would like to be part of an enthusiastic and well supported team delivering an exceptional service to schools and education settings, then we'd love to hear from you.Shortlisting CriteriaTo be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:
  • Broad understanding of the education and children's workforce landscape and relevant legislation.
  • High-level IT, written and oral communication skills, including the delivery of training.
  • Experience in complaints and investigations.
  • Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and influencing skills.
  • Skilled in mediation/conflict resolution.
  • Willingness and ability to travel across the county.
  • Ability to work flexibly, including out-of-hours support on a rota basis.
  • Ability to prioritise and reorganise workloads in response to changing demands.
Contact usPlease contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.For an informal discussion please contact Kate Charles by e-mail.The job advert closes at 23:59 on 12/09/2025 with interviews planned for 19/09/2025A DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role.Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here:Our BehavioursThe Surrey Way behaviours are a guide that supports our council to work together effectively and deliver our best for our customers and communities, and for each other. Discover more about our .Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.Our CommitmentSurrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:
  • The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
  • The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.Files to download
  • Reviewed: 30 Aug 2025
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